Gas-engine.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

S. J. WEBB.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1901.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

lutmnl'oz PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

S. J. WEBB.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN. 14. 1001.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gun-van ['02 Q l'ueaaco TJNITED STATES Patented February 7, 1905.

SAMUEL J. \VEBB, OF HINDEN, LOUISIANA.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,205, dated February 7, 1905.

Application filed January 14, 1901- Serial No. 43,225.

To all 7071mm it Tim/y concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. lVnBB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minden, in the parish of 'ebster and State of Lou isiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gas-engines, and more especially to that class of engines in which the gaseous mixture is burned rather than exploded, so as to provide a large volume of motor-gas for use in connection with pistons of large area, thus avoiding the necessity of highly heating the engine-cylinders and providing water for reducing their temperatn re, and to this end the apparatus is constructed as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whicl v Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the engine of the form illustrated in Fig. 1.

The engine A is of any suitable character and is suitably connected to operate a pump B, which receives a mixture of air and gas, preferably of such a character as to burn rather than explode, which mixture is delivered by the pump into a combustion-chamber X, which, as shown, is in a casing E, and the gases produced from the combustion are conducted to the valve device Gr of the engine and are admitted to the engine-cylinder at the proper time to impart motion to the piston of the engine. The parts are so constructed and proportioned and operated that the mixture will be delivered in a highly-condensed state to the combustion-chamber to be there burned as continuously as practicable, thereby greatly increasing the volume of gas, so that the engine may have a cylinder of comparatively large area, permitting such an expansion of the gases conducted thereto as will absorb the heat and prevent the overheating of the engine-cylinder, thereby avoiding the necessity of using water or reducing the extent to which the water is used for maintaining the desired low temperature of the engine-cylinder, while as the motor-gases are generated practicallycontinuously during the operation of the engine and are stored in the combustion-chamber when the engine is stopped there is always available power within areasonable time after stopping to be used for starting the engine, thereby avoiding the necessity of employing manually or otherwise operated starting devices needed in connection with ordinary gas-engines.

In the construction of engine illustrated in the drawings there is a continuous casing which includes a plurality of engine-cylinders a and pump-cylinders l), the latter at an angle to the engine cylinders, and intermediate crank-casing 0, through which extends the crank shaft 5, having oppositely arranged cranks connected by connecting-rods (5 with the engine-pistons 3 and by connecting-rods 4: with the pump-pistons T.

The gaseous mixture may consist of a mixture of air and gas derived from any suitable source, as a street-main, or natural gas, or the air may be charged with the vapor of a volatile hydrocarbon using a carbureter C. As shown, the carbureter consists of a casing to which naphtha or gasoleue from a tank 21 is conveyed by a pipe 20. perforated in the casing and containing fibrous material 22, onto which the liquid is discharged, the air passing through openings in the top of the casing over the saturated material to a pipe 9, which communicates with the pump or pumps, checkvalves 8 permitting the mixture to be drawn into the pump-cylinders, but preventing a backward flow to the earbureter. The mixture is discharged from each pump through a pipe 19, provided with a cheek-valve 10 and leading to the casing E, where the mixture is ignited by an electric igniterJ, supplied with a current from a dynamo L or battery, the dynamo being driven by the engine.

To prevent the overheating of the casing E, the latter is provided with a lining 18, of asbestos, and in time particles of the asbestos will become incandescent, so that the mixture will be ignited thereby and continuously burn so long as it is supplied to the casing.

A pipe 15, provided with a suitable safetyvalve M, conducts the motor-gases from the combustion-chamber to the valve device Ur of the engine, and in the construction shown each valve device has a port 25, through which the gases may pass to the engine-cylinder in one position, and another port 26, which on the upward movement of the piston afl'ords a communication between the cylinder and the exhaust-port 27. The valve shown is a cylindrical rock-valve, to which proper movements are imparted by means of a cam on the engine-shaft 5 and suitable connections.

In some cases it may be desirable to prevent an undue supply of gaseous mixture to the combustion-chamber, and I therefore provide a governor device D, which, as shown, consists of a chamber containing a port in line with the pipe 9, to which port is adapted a Valve 13, normally opened by a spring 1 1 and closed by pressure on the diaphragm 12, one side of which is subjected to pressure of gases from the combustion-chamber X. The valve does not absolutely close its seat, so that there is alwaysa limited supply passing to the pump and to the combustion-chamber; but when the pressure in the latter is excessive the valve closes the port to a great extent, and thereby so reduces the supply that the pressure soon becomes normal. A vent may be provided, when the valve is seated, by a notch or notches 29. A set-screw 28 bears on the spring 14:

and serves to adjust the spring-pressure on the valve, so as to regulate its action.

lVithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim as my invention 1. The combination of an engine, a carbureter, a pump, a casing having an interior partition provided with a port, a pipe leading from the carbureter to the casing on one side of the partition, a pipe leading from the other side of the partition to the pump, a valve to partially, but not wholly, close said port and normally held away from the port, a combustion-chamber into which the pump delivers the combustible mixture from the carbureter, and a diaphragm subject to the pressure of the gas within the combustion-chamber and connected to said valve, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an engine, a carbution chamber to the engine, a valve in said supply-pipe actuated from the engine, and a diaphragm subject to the pressure of the gas within the combustion-chamber and connected to said valve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of an engine, a carbureter, a pump receiving a mixture of air and vapor from the carbureter, a combustionchamber into which the mixture is forced by the pump and in which it is burned, an igniting device within the combustion-chamber, means for controlling the flow of gases from the combustion-chamber to the engine, and'a governorcontrolled by the pressure in the combustion-chamber and controlling but incapable of stopping the flow of gases from the carbureter to the pump, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL J. WEBB.

WVitnesses:

W. CLARENCE DUvALL, J. J. MCCARTHY. 

